Developer Gary Matthews is asking for the Peoria City Council’s OK to change management teams at the Marriott Pere Marquette and the not-yet-open Courtyard Marriott, which he built with significant public subsidy. We don’t feel strongly about this, and we trust the vast majority of Peorians don’t give much of a hoot, either.

That said, the switch in management — from Marriott International to First Hospitality Group of suburban Chicago — does beg an observation or two. First, Peorians were told repeatedly in the negotiations run-up to this hotel deal that Marriott was the gold standard as far as hotel management was concerned. And now, not even a year into the grand old hotel’s rebirth — the beautifully renovated Pere reopened in July, 2013 — we’re told there’s somebody better out there.

Curious, but that’s not what prompts this editorial.

What does is the fact that we — “we” being the tax-paying public — are not allowed to know how the $100 million hotel project is doing. Were this hotel built entirely on the developer’s dime, of course, the public would have no basis to ask. His risk, his reward (or lack thereof). But in this case local taxpayers ponied up some $35 million in assistance. To now be told that they have no right to know what kind of return they’re getting on their investment — without which this project would not have happened, or so we’re told — is just galling, and among the reasons we have soured on so many — if not all — of these kinds of economic development projects.

Oh, we do get the vaguest of responses, in this case that the hotel’s performance is “in the ballpark in terms of projections that we had.” The dealmakers will forgive those locals who think that’s code for not quite getting the job done. Indeed, in our experience these projects are always doing “fine,” sometimes right up to the day they put the hand-scrawled “closed” sign on the front door. If every room was being filled, you’d say so, wouldn’t you?

Of course, City Hall cites a confidentiality agreement with the developer that prohibits the release of financial or any performance data, with the explanation/justification that it’s just the way things are done, that Peoria isn’t doing anything any differently than virtually every other city in America. We don’t doubt that. But since when is Peoria or any other municipality obligated to follow the other lemmings off the cliff?

Beyond that, it’s just mystifying how, over the years, the tables got turned. You’d think that the giver/lender in these situations would have all the leverage in establishing the rules. But somewhere along the line the developers got the upper hand, often with the promise of jobs and tax revenues. That’s important, they’re the lifeblood of any municipality that wishes to meet the service needs of its constituents, it’s no wonder local government leaders covet them. Yet we cannot remember the last time any community in these parts did any honest, serious, after-the-fact cost-benefit analysis on any of these public/private projects. Did they deliver on the jobs? How about the tax revenues? How about the guaranteed economic spinoff? It’s not just Peoria. We’d ask the same of East Peoria. How’s Bass Pro doing? Numbers, please.

Page 2 of 2 - We understand the sensitivity about proprietary information, but if you don’t want to deal with the strings attached, don’t ask for the public’s money. Nothing personal against any of those involved. For us, it absolutely is the principle of the thing. It’s just simple accountability.

Beyond that, this hotel was largely born in the dark, with virtually no public discussion or input in 2008, and obviously to some degree it remains so. Government that isn’t transparent may not be bad government, necessarily, but it doesn’t qualify as good government, either. If you can’t talk publicly about the business you’re conducting on behalf of the public, there’s usually a reason, and often it’s not to the benefit of that public.

Alas, we’ve long been a single voice in the wilderness in our concerns/reservations about these kinds of public/private arrangements. Unless more locals notice and care enough about it to show up and voice their concerns, it will not change.